Durafly Retro Series Junior - a quick fix

I had an email from Hobbyking yesterday informing that this had arrived.

Now, I realise that some folks will probably pass a brick at the thought, (after all, it's leccy, foam, artf AND from HK...oh, and it's got ailerons as well!!!) but what a little gem and a perfect quick fix when a spot of relaxation therapy comes along without notice!

It caught my eye too. Absolutely outrageous, just like my old free-flight from fifty-five years ago, and blow me down in epo, no modelling involved, just complete nostalgia, right down to the fake deisel and rubber bands. I couldn't resist, bought it yesterday, it was despatched today and should arrive on Monday. And I don't feel the least bit guilty.

Please let us know how you get on with it Paul, I think there might be a lot of interest in this. I didnt realise at first it was a foamy, which is a shame but it looks like they've simulated the framework very well. Its a bit smaller than I'd hoped, the photo and the name 'Junior' made me expect a 60" model !

If/when I order one, I'd fix the ailerons, to me they're pointless on a model like that.

Everbody keeps saying this about the ailerons......and couldn't be more wrong......I may not be at HK anymore but this model was my concept and I have been flying one since the drawing board until present, the ailerons work just fine.

I fly the model mainly on rudder but there are occasions (like cross winds) where the ailerons come into their own when mixed with the rudder and occasions where aileron turns work better than (inefficient) flat rudder turns.......at least you have the option and commercially, it would have been suicide to not give the younger generation the option of aileron's.

As a committed vintage nut, and mostly free flight or single channel at an absolute push, I have literally just passed a brick lol. Seriously though, I saw one of these at the last Modelair event at Old Warden, and I have to admit, it looks superb in the flesh and fooled a few of the older guys until close inspection. I'm very tempted with a punt on this one. I think it would be quite a bit of fun if only for the novelty/wind up value. As Phil Green has said, it would probably be great for single channel, which is all that something of this configuration needs.

I'm totally OK with vintage and electric, now't wrong with electric at all, the old guys would have used it if it had been available/lighter back in the day, and to be honest I'd rather it was foam than covered in film, or even worse, see through film! (retch).

I take on board Scotts comment about yoof and ailerons, it never really occurred to me, but I see the commercial logic, but we really should educate them...!!

I hope it does really well, and look forward to seeing a thorough flight test and how it holds up. The previous retro offering must have been testing the water and done well enough to roll this one out?

Well I wouldn’t be encouraging Ken to take any legal action. He’s right of course it is familiar and as I said in my first post that was what attracted me. However Ken’s piccie puzzled, because I was certain it was the kit I had as a kid and that was well before Flair models. After a little research I discovered the original was by Keil Kraft, so the Flair is also a copy. It was a design by Albert Edward Hatfull,(love that name). Born in 1926 he worked for Keil Kraft from the age of 16 and designed the Junior in 1945. He retired in 1984 and died in 2007. So the plans are well and truly in the public domain.

I promised I’d post when it arrived from HobbyKing and after 13 days travelling 1792 kilometers it arrived today. Distance from HobbyKing warehouse to me is only 740 ks Before you switch off anticipating another HobbyKing put down, the reason I’m telling the story is that frustrating though it has been, HobbyKing's service has been exemplary.

Their only problem was to despatch the parcel with a delivery company who took their money and omitted to tell them that they don’t deliver to my area. I had an instant response from HobbyKIng via live chat and they gave me the relevant contact numbers for the shipping company. That company was very reluctant and weren’t really about to give me any answer as to the whereabouts of the goods. I went back to HobbyKing, again via live chat. Within the hour the shipping company were on the phone to me, this time very polite and admitted they had not told HobbyKing of their inability to deliver to my area. By now they had traced the parcel which had gone from pickup in Sydney to Canberra, back to Sydney, on to Brisbane in Queensland, from there to the Gold Coast on the Queensland border and finally back to their transit depot in Brisbane, before they worked out where I lived. They didn’t apologize but agreed to transfer it to Australia Post who normally deliver goods from hobby King to me within two days. Meantime on request HobbyKing flagged my account to use only Australia Post in the future and the goods I ordered two days ago arrived by Australia Post at the same time.

Meanwhile I now have a rare working week. I’ve taken the wraps off and all is there and with no dings or scratches. I’ll tell you how it goes together next week and hopefully how well she flies. At the moment I seem to be unable to post any photos to this site.

It went together in under an hour and I'm one of those elderly gents who likes taking time and neatly folds up and puts away those nice lengths of bubble wrap, just in case I need them to protect a present for someone at Xmas.

The instructions were clear and comprehensive, you don't need any glue and they supply a screwdriver with the model. It feels as light as a feather, so probably wouldn't be a model to fly in a gale. On the other hand it has a wopping amount of dihedral so should be very, very stable and if it flies as I remember my free flight version did all those years ago, then it probably flies itself with an occasional interuption from the pilot.

I'll have to wait until next week for its maiden, but I'll let you know how it goes.